Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 193 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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ad He rose and bowed low, and the Czar said to him, kindly: ‘*T understand you have a letter for me from my brother, the peror of the French. I will receive it.” Gabriel delivered it without more ado, and the Czar read it quietly. When he had finished -he said to Gabriel: ** It is too late.” **Too late, sire?’ “Too late. Had this note come before the ‘occupation of Moscow, I could have treated with the Emperor Napoleon; but now honor requires that I retrieve the disasters of the summer by the triumphs of the winter. I have taken counsel with my best generals, and we are all agreed that we can give no armistice. If his majesty wishes to leave Russia, he can do so; but I warn him he must leave his army behind him, either dead men or prisoners.” Gabriel stood astounded at the firm and menacing language of the Czar, and could only ask him: ‘*Is that your ultimatum, sire?” “To the Emperor Napoleon, yes. We met at Tilsit, and I have a sincere liking for his majesty; but our interests cannot be identified any longer. But for you, Monsieur le Comte,” he added, kindly, “‘Il have a liking. Where have I seen you before?” **On the Niemen at Tilsit, sire, I believe. I commanded the escort that dey.” “Yes, yes, I remember. Those grim black cuirassiers that cut up my poor Cossacks sv badly. A fine regiment, count, a fine regiment. Pity that they are about to be destroyed.” briel dre w himself up. “If they are destroyed, sire, it will not be by the Cossacks unless they are ten to one.” The emperor smiled good-naturedly, “We will not quarrel over it. ButI feel an interest in you, for certain reasons. When you are a prisoner, if you will send word to me that you wish to see me, I will see you. You under- stand? I shall have an offer then to make to ou.’ ‘i Gabriel bowed. “Tf I am unfortunate enough to be taken, sire, I will remember .t; but I have already informed. this gentleman here, that I can never enter the ‘Russian service while Russia and France are at war with each other.” ‘No one has asked you, count,” dryly replied the Czar. ‘‘ Butitis time you were riding back, General,” to the pale officer, ‘‘ride back with him through the camps. Let him see every- thing. I fear no news he can take away.” \ CHAPTER XXI. THE LAST DAYS IN MOSCOW. Turey rode back together, the boy gen- eral and the pale, inscrutable stranger, through the midst of Russian regiments of in- _fantry, brown, dusty and ragged, long trains of guns, hordes of Cossacks and regiments of big, heavy dragoons and cuirassiers, that amazed Gabriel. ‘The horses are in good condition,” he ob- served, thoughtfully, as he passed a battery with eight mals to each gun. The general shrugged his shoulders, “What would you have? Do you expect them to starve in their own country, if the — have time to eat the forage before it is burnt? Your men cannot get it.” Gabriel said no more, but he felt the full foree of the implication, and he saw that the well-fed Russian army was in numbers much larger than he had supposed possible, after the losses of the campaign. So he rode silently on to the outposts, where he found Casse Tete smoking a sociable pipe with the Cossacks, and there he took leave of the strange general, who touched his hat coldly and rode away with the Cossacks. Then they grey up the white flag, and Count Gabriel rode slowly back to Moscow, followed by Casse Tete, both men very silent and thoughtful. , Contrary to his usual custom, the order! said not a word during the whole journey, till they had passed the pickets and were nearing the walls of Moscow. Then he coughed slightly to attract his mas- ter’s attention, and Gabriel said: ‘* Well, Casse Tete, what is it?” He knew that his follower wished to say something and wanted encouragement. Cuasse Tete cleared his throat again. ‘‘Ahem! My general, did you know who 7 h you when you came back to the out- sts?” ‘No, That is, I know he is French, but that = D» you know?’ is qu&tion was eagerly put. Casse Tete shook bis'bead: **No, my general, I do not. But if it were not that | know he blew his brains out or hung himself, or something of that sort, I would swear that I did know him.” “Know whom? You are talking nonsense, That is no dead man, and no ghost. He is as much alive as you or 1” Casse Tete compressed his lips, but made no mit Af nee Gabriel continued: ‘ om was he like, Casse Tete?” The old soldier evaded the point. “It is not for me to say, my general; but it is a singular thing that there should be two of them.” ‘Two of what, Casse Tete? Speak out.” “Two dead men come to life again.” “Two dead men? And who is the other?” “That Russiaa sergeant, my general. I once served with that man in the army of the Sam- bre and Meuse, in 93.” ‘You did? What was he then?’ ‘He was simply private Basil Bontard, of the 47th demi-brigade, my general, and we went into Holland under General Pichegru, and took the fleet of the Hollanders with a charge of cavalry.” “Cavalry? I thought you said you were in the infantry, Casse Tete?’ “Basil Bontard was, my general, not I, and we got acquainted on the march, when I was orderly at brigade head-quarters. Finally he exchanged into the cavalry, and we were to- gether when we took the fleet.” “‘How did you do that? I’ve heard of it, but only as a joke.” “Tt was no joke, my FS wplory I assure you. It was winter time, and there was the fleet, fast frozen up in the Texel. So we rode out over the ice in the night, and took them all, so they could not help themselves a bit. It was in all the papers at the time. And this Bontard, he afterward deserted, at the time the Chouans were so prosperous and when the emperor was in Egypt.. And he tells me he went into the Russian service in Italy, when their General Suwarrow was there, and that he has a wife and a farm and a herd of cattle among the Cossacks. And he was actually trying to in- duce me to say I would eome with him, my general. If we had not been under a flag of truce, I believe I should have given him a good ‘blow, to teach him manners.”’ ‘And what made you think he was dead, Casse Tete? You said you thought him another dead man.” “Oh, that is true, my general. I was told that he had been killed in Italy in one of the battles there; but it turms out to be the very one in which he deserted. He was always a deep fellow, that Bontard.” ‘“And who was the other man that you thought dead? Was he too killed in battle on the reports, and alive again in reality—or is it all a story you have invented?” Casse Tete began to cough again, as if hesi- tating what to say, when they heard the bells of Moscow ring furiously out, and saw another dense column of smoke rise from the midst of the city. ' ‘“‘ Ah! the accursed pirates!” cried the old cuirassier, vindictively. ‘‘See, my general, they are at it again.” And indeed they were, for not only one, but three distinct columns of smoke, all dense and black, rose up while they were looking, and they forgot all about their conversation while they listened to the clanging of the bells and the shouts of the excited soldiers as they rushed through the streets to extinguish the fire, _ Gabriel and his orderly rode hurriedly in, and found the whole town in an uproar, It was the sixth fire that day, and yet they bad already, while he was gone on his expedi- tion to the Czar’s quarters, shot and hung a dozen Russians caught in the act of piling con- bustibles in cellars. The fires were put out at last, but not before several houses were destroyed, and Gabriel caught sight of the emperor in his gray over- coat, followed by his staff, riding back from the ruins, giving orders as he went. The Man of Destiny saw him as he saluted, and beckoned to him to come up. Then they rode slowly on to the Kremlin, and Gabriel noticed that the face of the emperor wore a set, anxious look, such as he had never seen on it before. : For a long time he said nothing, though his eyes were everywhere; but at last he broke out impatiently : “Well, well, what did he say? Speak out. Did they deny you access to the Czar? Tell me the story.” ‘They denied me to see the Czar, sire, and took me to Platoff, Ataman of the Cossacks.” ‘“Indeed? Platoff, eh? What sort of a man is he, count?” ‘* A rough Cossack, sire; but he has a tutor in a French renegade, whose name I do not know, but whom I strongly s ct to be the same who played The Man in Red to deceive your majesty.” The emperor frowned deeply. “Indeed? Come, this grows interesting. Does he think he can play the game of war with me?” he muttered, under his breath. Then, after a little, he went on: ‘** Then you only saw Platoff?” ‘No, sire, the Czar came in while I was there.” ‘You are sure it was he?” asked the emperor eagerly. ‘‘ Do you know him?” ‘I saw him at Tilsit, sire. It was the same.” ‘*Then he cannot be more than—” “About fifteen miles off, sire. I rode fast there and back.” i ae tess sé Then—” The emperor looked around him. The streets were full of soldiers, many of them drunk, others carrying bundles of their plunder out of houses, while the officers did not seem to care what was going on. The discipline of the Grand Army had become much relaxed on the road to Mescow, He shrugged bis shoulders muttering: ** With the men of Austerlitz I might make a dash; but with this rabble—bah!” Gabriel saw what was in his mind—a sudden advance to defeat the Russians and capture the Czar—but, as the emperor said, the army was in ne condition to take the field in a hurry, The men and officers were all overloaded with plunder and every colonel had a carriage and horses to drag along with him on the march. : The dark battalions of the Old Guard were the only thoroughly disciplined bodies remain- ing in the Grand Army. ! o the emperor resumed his questions in the irritable manner that showed the strain upon his mind. **So you saw the Czar?” well, well, are you dumb that you cannot tell what he said? id you give him my letter?’ ‘**] did, sire, and he read it,” ‘* Well, what did he say?” “He refused an armistice, sire, and told me that your majesty might have Moscow but that he warned you he would keep on fighting you.” * The emperor’s face never changed a muscle as he heard the news, and he rode on for some minutes in silence. At last, as they were coming to the Kremlin he inquired; ‘Did you see the troops?” ‘Yes, sire. They number nearly as many as we do, but their borses are fat and the men well fed. Their artillery has eight horses toa un.” d The emperor nodded. ‘Thank you. You have done well. pleased with you, count.” It was the first time Gabriel had ever heard words of unstinted praise from the first man in Europe. Usually it was only by the absence of rebuke that one could tell the emperor was pleased with anything. He dismcunted at the gates of the palace and said to the aide who met him: ‘‘Send out an order to the marshals. I wish to see them all at once in two hours from now,” To Gabriel he said: ‘‘Get your corps ready to move. You will have to cover—” He did not say what they were to cover but his hearer knew what he meant: The retreat from Moscow ! I am CHAPTER XXIL CONFIDENCES. THAT night the emperor was closeted late with the marshals who came out with grave faces; and the rumor spread with alarming rapidity through the city that the army was going to retreat. ; Count Gabriel of Friedland in his own quar- ters had been up late attending to the details of etting his command ready, to move and when e had dismissed the last officer he was sum- moned by a message to the Kremlin. His majesty wished to see him. The count ordered his horse and rode over with Casse Tete. He found the court-yard of the palace occu: pied by a battalion of the Old Guard, sleepin on their arms and had noticed on his way that tlre streets were full of troops lying about on the sidewalks, But the city was quiet and there were no more fires. On his way he passed the bodies of nearly atone omy id Russian peasants dangling from beams of wood or street lamps swuug on chains and he knew they had been caught at acts of incendiarism. He found the emperor alone in a large cham- ber in a wing of the old palace with Roustan the Mameluke sleeping in an anteroom. His majesty looked the same as usual now, calm ant confident and was pacing the room with his hands tehind his back in his favorite attitude of thought. ; He nodded to Gabriel and said: ‘* Sit down, count.” Then he continued his walk for some minutes till at last he began: “We are going to retreat, and J have given the Prince of the Moskwa the command of the rear guard. You are to go with him. It is the post of honor and danger. They will give you your orders to-morrow and the movement will commence inside of the week, How many men have you fit for service?” “Twelve thousand, sire, but only three whose horses will last the retreat.” The emperor twitched the corner of his mouth nervously and looked haggard. ‘How many men are fit to go for a week? I mean how many horses?” ‘* About five thousand, sire.” (E 0)(0)(6) e€oilm